Where do savvy Chicagoans go to escape bitter winds, pelting rain, driving snow or slushy sidewalks?
Florida?
Good guess, but try again. And think much closer.
Try the Pedway System, a subterranean labyrinth that wends for 44 blocks under Chicago’s central business district and shelters pedestrians on their way to public buildings, office towers, hotels and other structures. It also connects to train stations, restaurants and stores.
“I didn’t know about this. I’m pretty amazed. I’ve been going above-ground for years and freezing,” said Brad Norris, 23, a theatrical electrician on his way from the train at Washington Street to the Chicago Cultural Center. He recently discovered the Pedway after six years of living in the city.
He’s also one of the estimated tens of thousands who use the route daily.
The actual number of users has never been counted, said Brian Steele, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Transportation, and the city has no plans to do so.
“It’s a very large system. It covers so much ground that you’d have to station too many people. Doing a count would be a huge undertaking,” said Steele.
Construction of the Pedway began in the 1950s, when the portion that connects the CTA’s Red and Blue Lines was built under Washington Street. The last section to be built, to the Monroe Street Garage, was added in the mid-1990s.
The 25 structures linked by the pedway reads likes a “Who’s Who” of Chicago buildings: The Richard J. Daley Center, the State of Illinois Center, the Dirksen Federal Building, the Palmer House Hilton, the Randolph Street Metra Station, Marshall Field’s, Carson Pirie Scott, Doral Plaza, the Aon Center, the Leo Burnett Building, the Fairmont Hotel and the Chicago Cultural Center.
From the beginning, “the intent of the pedway was to provide an enclosed pathway that people could use in the winter,” Steele said.
And that hasn’t changed, though the route is open year-round.
The latest development was the reconstruction of a half-block section between Wabash Street and the Chicago Cultural Center on Michigan Avenue in December. The renovation was done to go along with a new 57-story residential tower, The Heritage of Millennium Park, on Randolph Street.
The section has new lighting and touches such as tiled entryways.
“It’s a very sharp section of the pedway,” said Steele.
The pedway is maintained by the entities that own its sections.
“If the part by Daley Plaza needs a light bulb changed, then Daley Plaza does it,” said Steele.
Security, he said, is also a shared responsibility. “It’s the same [as] maintenance. Each owner handles it for their section. They have their own security guards,” he said.
“Basically, you’ve got a very safe system there,” said police department spokesman Patrick Camden. “It’s a combination of public and private security. There’s very low crime there.”
The look of the tunnel varies somewhat according to nearby uses. For instance, the tunnel connecting the CTA red and blue lines is basically a tiled walkway, very utilitarian and functional.
It’s busy near prominent buildings and at train stations. Depending on the time and whether it’s a weekend or week day, parts may be nearly deserted.
Near Marshall Field’s on a recent late Saturday afternoon, the sound of jazz from the store’s wine department wafted through an open door and filled the nearly empty tunnel.
Minutes later, Stacey Bilsland and Mary Terhune, both of Tinley Park, entered the tunnel from Field’s. They had seen “Spamalot,” the musical based on the works of the British comedy troupe Monty Python, and were making their way to their car, parked near City Hall.
“We’re starting off on an adventure. We don’t know where it will take us,” said Terhune.
Steele said the city would not mind seeing more people using the pedway. The only improvement planned, however, is the addition of uniform signage.
“It will make it easier to navigate. The pedway is a great amenity. We want to people to take advantage of it and to make it easier for people to get through it,” he said.
Pedway hours vary. But basically it is open between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Steele said. Pedway access usually is from the basements of the buildings on it.
“It’s a bit of an undiscovered gem in the city,” said Steele.
But not for Brad Norris, anymore.
“It’s much better than being outside in the cold,” he said.
